(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a mounting bracket for mounting an electric switch. In particular, the present invention pertains to a mounting bracket for an electric switch that is constructed of a single metal piece and does not require separate fasteners for holding the electric switch on the bracket.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Electric switches are used in many types of environments that require the switch be fixed stationary to a surface with an actuator of the switch being readily accessible. In some applications, for example in reset switches, the switch actuator is a push button that extends outwardly from a protective housing enclosure of the switch. In some applications, reset switches of this type are required to be securely mounted adjacent an opening in a wall of an enclosure, such as a junction box containing the switch or the casing of an electrical device with which the switch is associated. The switch actuator extends into the opening of the wall, but does not extend significantly beyond the exterior surface of the wall. This is a common environment of electric motor reset switches having actuator buttons that are manually depressed to reset circuit breakers of the electric motors.
Electric motor reset switches are usually mounted in a junction box that is mounted to the exterior of the motor, or are mounted against an interior surface of the motor shell or endshield. Whether mounted in a junction box or in the motor shell, the switches are positioned so that their push button actuators extend into openings in the junction box wall or the motor shell or endshield, but do not extend significantly beyond the opening. A flexible grommet is then inserted into the opening to seal the opening. The flexibility of the grommet still enables manual pressing of the reset switch actuator button by manually pressing the grommet inwardly into the opening.
Because the push button actuator of the reset switch does not extend significantly beyond the opening in the junction box or motor shell wall, it is necessary that the switch housing be securely mounted relative to the opening to prevent any movement of the switch away from the opening when the reset actuator is being pressed. Prior art switch mountings have employed brackets that receive the housing of the reset switch and position the actuator of the switch at a spaced distance from the shell or junction box opening so that the switch actuator does not extend a significant distance through the opening. Prior art switch mounting brackets 12 of this type are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 shows a switch mounted to a junction box wall and FIG. 2 shows a switch mounted inside a motor shell. However, the bracket 12 alone would not support the switch 14. With the bracket 12, screw 16 and nut 18 fasteners or self-tapping screws were needed to secure the switch to the bracket and in some situations, spacers 22 were needed to properly position the switch relative to the bracket 12 and the motor shell opening 24 or junction box opening 26. In addition, fasteners 30 were needed to hold the bracket 12 to the motor shell wall 28 or the junction box wall 32. An alternative method of attaching the protector bracket to the shell would be to weld it to the shell. The assembly of the switch to the bracket and the assembly of the bracket to the motor shell wall or junction box wall also required a significant amount of the assembler's time. In the least, it was necessary to attach the switch to the bracket with at least two screw and nut fasteners or similar types of fasteners and then attach the bracket to the motor shell wall or junction box wall by an additional set of screw and nut fasteners or by pop rivets or weldments. If it was necessary to employ spacers or washers to properly position the switch actuator relative to the opening in the motor shell wall or junction box wall, the time of assembly was further increased.
The specialized brackets and the associated hardware and the labor time involved in mounting the switches all contributed significantly to the overall expense of mounting the switches. In order to reduce this expense, it would be necessary to reduce the number of fasteners needed to mount the switch to the bracket, thereby reducing or eliminating the hardware expense and reducing the labor expense by reducing the time needed to attach the switch to the bracket.